A Step into Glory

"Just inside the gate a place reserved for me

Book of Life, my name penned there by Calvary

Welcome like no other, tear drops wiped away

And on that day I get to stay inside the gate!"

These words to a song I recently heard blessed me so much as I thought of stepping inside the gates of heaven some day. My first thoughts were not of streets of gold and gates of pearl, but the divine glory that will be there because of Jesus presense! Another thought was the absolute joy of just being there. And I reveled in that glory.

Then I really listened to the first verse of this song and had a completely different emotion:

"In another time and place much more than fate

He took sins weight outside the gate

Love beyond all human thought of dignity

now welcomes me where I shouldn't be"

You see, I am not worthy on my own to go to heaven.  My sins could only be cleansed by the precious blood of Jesus.  So my emotion now includes sorrow for my sins, gratefulness for Jesus' taking my place on the cross and then joy because Jesus has become my Savior.  My Jesus suffered “outside the gate” so I could “step inside the gate”! Let me explain.

Hebrews 13:11-12, “For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood.” This gives us a picture of the Old Testament sacrifices performed by the priests that was a foreshadowing of the sacrifice Christ made for us “outside the camp” meaning the city of Jerusalem. Leviticus 16:27, “And the bull for the sin offering and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Holy Place, shall be carried outside the camp.”

The Old Testament sacrifices had to be repeated daily and the Day of Atonement took place once a year. Neither could take away our sins. But Jesus died on the cross of Calvary once for all.

Hebrews 10:10,11, “And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12, “But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies would be made a footstool for his feet. 14, “For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”

Another picture of this is found in Numbers 13:1-25 where we learn about the Israelites' wondering in the land of Canaan for forty years. This was punishment for their lack of faith and God condemned a generation, except Caleb and Joshua, to die in that desert. During this time they carried around a Tabernacle which is a representation of the true heavenly Tabernacle. The priests offered sacrifices during this time also. The Day of Atonement was an event that took place only once a year, but the sin offering was a constant daily reminder of the seriousness of sin. The offense was so grave that the offering was burned outside the camp.
The Most Holy Place was where the priest would offer the blood from the animal sacrifice once a year. The common person couldn't step into this Most Holy Place. Jesus died outside the gate once for all so we can step into Heaven as a redeemed person/soul. On the day Jesus died on the cross, the veil that separated the Most Holy Place from the people was torn from top to bottom signifying that we can enter into a relationship with Jesus, one on One!

Hebrews 10:19-23 “Since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great and high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering for he who promised is faithful.”

Because of the shed blood of Jesus, all Christians have the hope of “stepping inside the gate” of heaven someday. What a glorious day that will be! To be able to sit at the feet of Jesus and worship and praise Him for His great sacrifice on the cross will be the ultimate prize. Our human concept of a prize is minimal when compared with what we find in Phillippians 3:14, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

As the songwriter* penned in the chorus of this song, “on that day I get to stay inside the gate!” We will spend an eternity with Jesus in Heaven! Romans 6:22, “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.”

*Inside the Gate, written by Janene A Dubbeld and recorded by the Mark Dubbeld Family. You can find the CD, Live, Nothing But Praise, at this link: http://www.mjdubbeld.com/resources.  

Trust in the Road Signs

 The GPS or Map Quest tells you to turn right and then turn left. Cross this intersection and bear to the right . . . but it just doesn't seem like the right way to go. With the maze of highways and clover leaves, bridges and intersecting roads, it can be confusing. So you have two choices: trust your instincts or trust the directions being given to you. If you obey the GPS, then as you travel a little distance, you start to see how the highways connect and it begins to make sense.

We recently took a trip and it reinforced a thought I have had in the past about following directions. In the spiritual realm we are to follow a blueprint written in the Bible as to how to live and how our Christian walk should look; what paths we should and should not follow. Proverbs 3:6, tells us, “In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” And Jesus told us in John 18:2, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Colossians 2:6, “As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”

Sometimes God leads us into a sweet path. Psalm 23:2-3, “He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.”

Sometimes God leads us through tough times. Psalm 37:5 tells us, “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.” When the road gets rough and it looks like there is no way to go, Trust In Jesus.

Joshua 1:9 we have this promise: “Be strong, be courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

As we travel down this road of life we need to obey the signs. Psalm 128:1, “Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways!

Sometimes we take a wrong turn as we are traveling and the GPS will say, “Calculating.” Then she tells you how to get back on the right road to your destination. The same is true for the Christian. First of all, we need to acknowledge our sin.

I John 1:9, “If we confess our sin, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Then we need to turn around and get back on the right path. Acts 3:19, “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord . . .”

As we obey God's Word, and Trust in Him we continue on this Highway to Heaven and we can experience these words found in Proverbs 4:18,  "But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.” And we can say with the psalmist, “Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.” Psalm 25:4 

A Pilgrimage Through Cancer

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.  I posted this poem a
 year ago on Facebook but want to share it on my blog in honor of this month and all those who have walked this journey and for those who will in the future.

“It looks suspicious,” said the doctor.

Minutes later as my husband and I sat in the doctor’s formal office

He details my options if the biopsy reveals cancer.

Mastectomy and chemotherapy, lumpectomy with radiation.

My mind says, “I’d do anything to save the breast.”

Denial and anger wrapped into one.

Next comes fear.

Almost like a vessel filling up with water, I can feel it rising and I swallow to keep it down.

I discipline my mind into another channel and the fear subsides.

Preparing for biopsy, I feel like I am reluctantly walking in a charted pathway.

Every other step is hope, fear, hope, fear.

Nurses and doctors going routinely about their work give an air of calm and assurance.

Kind words and hands help to keep back the panic.

Common sense arrives to lend a hand – “What is, will be, no matter what the frame of my mind.

So it is best to relax, trust and hope for the best.”

I walk into the grocery store and feel like I am a spectator of life.

I feel like shouting, “Hey, I have cancer!”

Everyone goes about in their own world oblivious to my unspoken cry.

Waiting, worrying, hoping, five days of limbo.

Then the phone call from the surgeon.

Cancer.

But then he says, “This is not a death sentence!”

Good chance of fighting this enemy.

More tests to see if the cancer has spread.

Lab for blood tests; x ray for total body bone scan;

Admissions office.   Another wait for results.

Return to work.

A vase with a rose on my desk.

A card with a Bible promise, signed

“I love you daughter, Jesus”

And the tears come.

Jesus really does love me!

Jesus confirms that I am one of the Family!

The tears bring a release and a cleansing.

Others bring support and love

I am reminded that when Jesus faced His cross,

He turned to his friends.  Being God was not enough.

Test results showed no spread of cancer to the bones or lungs.

We celebrate by making love.  I think, “What will it be like when the breast is gone?”

Tears come to my eyes and we fall asleep in each other’s arms.

Day of surgery.  Mundane things like lunch money, school picture day.

Walking resigned steps into the hospital.

Waiting for the operating room stretcher to come.

Feeling so small and helpless as my grown children and husband follow me

To pre-op.  Watching the ceiling as we pass through corridors and elevators.

Hooked up to I.V., nurse comes to prep.  Reality sets in as she shaves the breast

And Steve and I join the nurse who is silently weeping.

Her husband recently died of cancer.  We share each others’ pain.

Wheeled into the O.R., the surgeon comes in and gives assurance.

“We are going to take good care of you.”

As the anesthesiologist places each arm straight out from my body,

I think – “This is how Jesus surrendered on His cross.  I must do the same.”

I return to my room to find flowers everywhere!

And my family surrounds me with love.

I sleep away the pain –

More in the pit of my arm where the lymph nodes were removed

Than across my chest.

Next day – I feel great!  Walk the halls, entertain visitors.

Second day – bandage comes off.  Experience grief like a death.

My breast had died.  The scar was ugly and I cried.

The kind of cry that releases and allows healing.

Third day – good news!  Cancer was contained in the breast.

Lymph nodes free of cancer.  Good prognosis for total recovery.

Chemotherapy prescribed as an added precaution.

Six months – nausea, weakness, slight hair loss.

Now twenty-four years – cancer free.

Scripture promise was true-

“I know the plans I have for you.

They are for good and not for evil that you may have a future and a hope.”

The Middle of the Sandwich

There it sits on a white plate. A sandwich with bacon, lettuce and tomato with mayo leaking out from the edges of the toasted bread. Cut diagonally, it is a treat ready to be consumed. On another plate is a sandwich with egg salad oozing out from between two slices of wheat bread. A leaf of lettuce peeks out from the deliciousness. And then we have the quintessential bacon cheeseburger! The aroma mixes in with the sight of a burger with a slice of cheese on top, graced with a slice of tomato and a leaf of lettuce. Of course there is mayo, mustard and onion too! What a sandwich!

I had a friend recently tell me of a verse in the Bible that speaks of God's kindness. So I looked it up and found it sandwiched between two verses about God's judgment. Whoa! What to do with this? We know that we have a choice whether to serve God or man; whether to become a Christian or not; whether to take advantage of God's kindness or experience God's wrath. So enough said about the “crust” of the sandwich. I want to look at the Middle of the Sandwich!

Romans 2:4 says, “Do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” God's kindness is meant to lead you and me to repentance, not necessarily his judgment or fear of His judgment.

Ephesians 2:4-9, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved – and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Titus 3:4-6, “When the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.”

Psalm 36:7, “How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.”

Psalm 69:16, “Answer me, O Lord, for Your lovingkindness is good; According to the greatness of Your compassion, turn to me.”

Isaiah 54:8, “ . . . with everlasting lovingkindness I will have compassion on you, “Says the Lord your Redeemer.”

Psalm 117:2, “For His lovingkindness is great toward us. And the truth of the Lord is everlasting. Praise the Lord!”

Psalm 63:3, “Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips will praise You.”

I do praise my Savior that it was His lovingkindness that reached down to my heart as a teenager. I am so thankful that He lovingly showed me His grace and forgiveness and that I said Yes! Because of this, I have enjoyed the middle of the sandwich and I don't have to be concerned with God's judgment because Jesus paid the price for my sin on Calvary and I am set free from judgement.

John 5:24, “Truly, Truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment but has passed from death to life.”

Romans 8:1-2, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”

If you haven't already, my prayer is that you will choose the middle of the sandwich and receive LIFE!

The Storms of Life

The meteorologist tells us for days that a category four hurricane is headed our way. We take note but think, perhaps it will turn and go out to sea. But it doesn't and then we get more serious. Even authorities begin to tell us to prepare and as it turns out, many evacuate to safer places. As I write this, Hurricane Matthew is still wreaking havoc on the eastern coast of the United States.

A young mother sits in the doctors office fearing one of the worst diagnosis, the dreaded word; cancer. The doctor comes in and sits down and confirms her fears. But then the words, “You are not going to die from this but . . . Ahead are months of treatments”. It will be a journey.

In John 16:33 we read, “In the world you will have tribulation (trouble). But take heart; I have overcome the world.” In the verse 32 it says, “ . . .in me (Jesus) you may have peace.” Good and bad happens to all of us, the godly and the ungodly. Christians are not exempt. Matthew 5:45, “For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”

When your world turns upside down and everything seems to be caving in on you, where do you turn? When conflict, chaos and circumstances come in and inundate your life, do you cower in the corner and pull your hair out or stoically plod ahead in your own strength or do you turn to Jesus? Psalm 61:1-3 says, “  Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.” Isaiah 26:4 tells us, “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock.”

As we turn to the Rock which is Jesus, we need to turn to His Word too.

Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Psalm 27:1, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? And verse 5, “For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock.”

Isaiah 41:10, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Deuteronomy 33:27, “The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms.”

All week when thinking of an impending hurricane, I have been thinking of the song, Eye of the Storm. Of course, it is mostly speaking to a storm of the soul and Jesus being our anchor. Here are the words to the chorus: In the eye of the storm You remain in control; And in the middle of the war You guard my soul; You alone are the anchor when my sails are torn; Your love surrounds me in the eye of the storm.” (Ryan Stevenson) (You can listen to the complete song HERE)

I just heard a song by Kari Jobe, Love Came Down. It is a song of

faith and trust in the midst of storms, and remembering all the things God has done for us as individuals because of His Son, Jesus. (You can listen to Love Came Down HERE)

Love Came Down

If my heart is overwhelmed And I cannot hear Your voice
I hold on to what is true Though I cannot see

If the storms of life they come, And the road ahead gets steep
I will lift these hands in faith I will believe

I'll remind myself Of all that You've done
And the life I have Because of Your son

Love came down and rescued me
Love came down and set me free
I am Yours,Lord I'm forever Yours
Mountains high or valley low, I sing out and remind my soul
I am Yours, I am forever Yours

When my heart is filled with hope Every promise comes my way
When I feel Your hands of grace Rest upon me

Staying desperate for You, God, Staying humble at Your feet
I will lift these hands in praise, I will believe

I'll remind myself Of all that You've done
And the life I have Because of Your son

Love came down…

So whether you are facing a hurricane, a cancer diagnosis or any other life storm, you can say along with the songwriter, Kristene DiMarco, in her song, It is Well:

So let go my soul and trust in Him, The waves and wind still know His name.

Through it all, through it all, my eyes are on You

Through it all, through it all, It is well.

Through it all, Through it all, My eyes are on You

It is well with me.

(You can listen to this song HERE)

Roads and Where They Take Us

We have all seen them, those asphalt ribbons meandering from town to town. Roads. I was driving recently and a big truck was coming toward me on their side of the road. And the thought occurred to me, “What is keeping that driver on his side of the road?” Why am I not afraid? What power does that yellow, 4 ½ inch line have in the middle of the road?” And then I wondered back in time to how roads came to be and thought of the early vehicles that only went 10 mile per hour (July 3, 1886, Karl Benz drove the first automobile in Mannheim, Germany at a top speed of 10 MPH) and realized that there wasn't much concern of high speed vehicles running into each other. And then I thought of the stage coaches that traveled over mountains and through rivers to reach the far west (at one point, that was Ohio! And then later beyond to California) and they made our roads by their oft traveled routes. Now we have highways with multiple lanes of traffic, some separated with concrete or metal barriers.

So back to my questions! What is keeping that driver on his side of the road? Fear of getting hurt if he crosses the line? Probably. Also something called the law. I think that is the power of the 4 ½ inch yellow or white line down the middle of the road. The law is behind the line. Our forefathers made up laws to keep us safe and drivers must follow the laws to safely drive a vehicle. And this is also why I am not afraid. Besides the fact that if a driver crosses the line and runs into me causing damage to his vehicle and maybe to himself, he will be charged with a transgression of the law. And he may also lose his privilege to drive.

Then I thought of destination. In life we get in our cars and head to the grocery store or to church and a myriad of other places. We have a destination in mind. In the spiritual realm we also have a destination in mind. And the options are either heaven or hell. Matthew 25:46 says it this way: “And these will go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into eternal life”. In Romans 6:23 we read, “For the wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

We are all on a journey. It is up to us to determine which road we are going to take; the one that leads to Heaven or the one that leads to hell. Jeremiah 6:16, “Thus says the Lord; Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not.” Isaiah 35:8: “And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness.” We are cautioned to “Enter by the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.”- Matthew 7:13

How do you and I enter the narrow gate? How do we get on the road to Holiness? How do we set our GPS on Heaven? Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ!

Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”

Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Acts 16:30, “What must I do to be saved? So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.”

How to accept Jesus into your heart? Confess and Believe

John 1:12, “But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.”

Romans 10:9-10, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

You can pray this prayer (or one similar):

Dear God, I know that I am a sinner and that my sin has separated me from you. I want to start a new life with you today. I want to accept and trust Jesus Christ as my Savior. I believe Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected, is alive and hears my prayers. I believe His death and resurrection provided for my forgiveness and salvation. I accept Jesus in to my heart today. I trust in Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I commit my life into your hands, dear God. I choose life. Please help me to obey you and live a life that makes you happy. In Jesus name, Amen.

Robert Frost wrote a poem, The Road Not Taken. It ends with these words:

Two roads diverged in a wood and I -

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

My prayer is that you will choose the road that leads to righteousness and a life with Jesus in Heaven.

Strength for Today and Hope for Tomorrow

As we live in this world, we often go through patches of problems. It seems like they come in bunches sometimes! So the other morning as I was praying, I prayed for “strength for today and hope for tomorrow”. And the phrase made me sit up and pay attention! I had no idea where it came from except as a need in my heart and life at the moment. I have since discovered it is found in a hymn, Great is Thy Faithfulness, verse three.

Since then I have been thinking about these two things God gives his children, strength and hope. It is a blessed comfort to know that God cares about what is burdening our hearts, whether they be big or small; whether there be one or many. God is there to help us.

Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore I will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.”

Psalm 118:14, “The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.”

Isaiah 33:2, “O Lord, be gracious to us; we wait for you. Be our strength every morning, our 

salvation in the time of trouble.”

Isaiah 40:31, “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

Hope: a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen; aspiration, desire, wish, expectation, ambition, aim, goal, plan, design; a feeling of trust

Psalm 42:5, 6a “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” The psalmist says, “My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. Verse 7, “Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me.”

The psalm ends with a repeat of verses 5 - 6a “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.”

Ephesians 1:18, “having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places.”

Psalm 40:1 is a psalm of thanksgiving that recounts the suffering of an individual whose hope was realized. “I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry.”

Psalm 130:5, –“ I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; 7- O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption.”

Romans 12:12 says, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” If you are going through a tough time, a trial or feel burdened down with the cares of this world, use this three part exercise – rejoice in hope, be patient in the midst of your problems and be constant in prayer.

Romans 15:4 says, “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

A very familiar and beloved scripture is found in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” And the next verse is so important: Vs 12, “ Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.” What an awesome promise from our God! He will hear us when we call upon Him!

My prayer for you today is found in Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”